Safe House
by treegirlenator
Summary: A re upload since the first one had issues. Its after the war and Death Eaters are starting to rise up and seek revenge on blood traitors. Draco Malfoy having changed and made friends with the Harry is sent to live with Hermione, because who would look for him there. rated M for Language and possible lemons. Trigger warning for self harm
1. Chapter 1

"No"

"I'll owe you one."

"It would have to be a pretty big one. Do you not remember the HELL that he put me through in school?"

"That was in school. He has changed."

"Yeah yeah yeah, and since when are the two of you so chummy? Its almost unnatural for the two of you to be friends."

"It just sort of happened. Any way will you do it?"

"Does he know about your 'wonderful' plan?"

"Well...umm…"

"I'll take that as a no. If he hasn't agreed to this I won't either."

"Hermione. Come on."

"Harry...No. if he hasn't agreed to this than no."

"Can't you be the bigger person and extend the hand of friendship?"

"No."

"Hermione…"

"We have you to be friends with him, I don't want to talk to him."

"You don't have to talk to him, you just...have to let him sleep in your spare room"

"Dear sweet Circe, you are so infuriating."

"I could have sent Ron to ask you. On second thought I could still send Ron to ask you."

"Oh dear sweet Godrick. I would and will still hex you if you bring that twat around."

"He really is sorry about everything."

"I don't want to hear it."

"So can Draco come and hide out in your spare room?"

"Will it get you to leave me the hell alone…"

"yes!"

"And owe me unlimited favors, until I decide that we are paid back in full."

"Yes"

"I guess that you have a place to hide your boyfriend."

"You won't be sorry thank you… thank you… thank you." he kissed my cheek and apparated away.

A few minutes later there was knock Hermione's front door. She didn't even get to the door before Harry walked through the door with Malfoy. Standing in her foyer was an extremely happy Harry and an uncomfortable Malfoy, standing there waiting for Hermione to invite them in.

"I didn't think that you would be back so soon."

"Well I didn't want to give you time to reconsider." Harry shrugged.

"Is there anything else that you are going to con me into today?" Hermione snarked.

"No…" he started.

" Good. I might see you Sunday at the Burrow." she cut him off.

"Alright I'm going. Here you are going to need this." Harry handed her a thick packet that outlined the terms and conditions of Draco Malfoy's stay in the Muggle world. Harry had turned to Malfoy. "If she tries to kill you use this it will contact me and I'll try to save you." All Draco did was nod as he took the charm that Harry handed to him.

"Be nice." Harry stated flatly as he exited the front door.

"Fuck You!" Hermione chimed after him. Turning toward Malfoy she started to lay into him. "Let's get this straight. I have some ground rules that you are going to follow or you're out of here. I have a very strict 1 strike policy."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Malfoy mumbled.

"Really if you're going to be a smart ass, you can leave now and stay with Won Won and Lav Lav." Hermione glared

"Oh God. You wouldn't do that." Malfoy mocked

"Try me. Now shut it and listen." she challenged

"Bossy bint" he mumbled.

"Can we continue?"

"Yes, sorry keep going with your rules. I know how important they are to you."

glaring Hermione started in on a few of the finer points of the rules. these of course sadly where a mixture of rules that she kept in general for guests and others that were made on the spot. If given the time there most definitely would have been more and better detailed rules.

"Alright. All food must be marked food not marked will be disposed of, food clearly marked is not for others in the house. You must follow the shower schedule and cleaning schedule. You are confined to your room whenever I have guests over. My office is out of bounds. My books are off limits. All contact with the outside world has to go through and be approved by me. this really is a ministry stipulation and the repercussions for not following will come from them and not me. As per your agreement with the Ministry you are not allowed outside without me or another authorized person to go with you. Also you are not permitted to use magic of any sort. These are just the surface of the worlds. There is a full list including your copy of the schedules in your room. If you will follow me I will show you the rest of the house and to your room. After you have settled I have made dinner. This will be the first and the last time that I make food for you so don't get used to it."

"Oh my Godric Hermione, I didn't think it was possible but the stick in your ass at school some how managed to lodge itself high into your ass."

"Fuck you Malfoy." Hermione bit back as she hit him with a stinging curse. "Now shut up and follow."

"This as you can see is the entry way. Down here is the living room/dining kitchen area. Now if you will follow me up the stairs." Surprisingly Malfoy kept his mouth shut to this point of the tour. "Here at the top is the bathroom. Down the hall to the right is my room and office. I ever catch you in there and I will not hesitate to hex your balls off. Down here are my two spare rooms. The one on the left is yours."

She opened the door and showed him his room. There was nothing to it really it had a queen size ebony sleigh bed in the center and matching dressers and night stand . The walls where painted a light grey with Black, white and Grey accents throughout the room. It was pretty room if not just slightly depressing. Yet again most of the house had a slightly depressing feel to it. Leaving Draco to unpack Hermione moved to the kitchen to make dinner for the two of them. Having had a strict menu planned for the next two week Hermione realized that it was all be gone less than she thought and wasn't sure if she could do that. Fuck Harry. He knew that she didn't like surprises and that she couldn't say no to him. After the war Hermione had tried to make a life for herself in the wizarding world. After convincing McGonagall to do a summer session for her she achieved perfect scores on all her tests, even in divinations. With perfect in everything the world was open to her anything that she wanted she could do. Hermione picked Unspeakable. It sounded like a great idea working in the secret section of the Ministry, but all it did was isolate Hermione from everyone. Having been recruited to the Department of Time and Relative Dimensions. Hermione spent three years traveling through time observing, learning and giving the information to her supervisor that was used elsewhere in the Ministry. Whenever she had the chance Hermione, went to the moment in time that hurt her the most trying to figure out what she could have done differently. Two years, a failed relationship with Ron, and a nervous breakdown later Hermione decided that she was done with the wizarding world. She concluded that it would just be better for her to leave the world of magic and try to find something in the Muggle world. Things haven't gone so badly in the last year. Hermione owned a successful bookstore, and had little interruptions in her new life with her old one. The only exceptions being Harry popping by every once in a while, and the endless owls from Molly.

Lost in her own thoughts Hermione didn't hear Malfoy enter the kitchen. It wasn't until he asked if there was something that he could help her with that she even noticed that he was there.

"Really you want to help? Isn't that beneath you?"

"I was just trying to be nice." Hermione scoffed at that.

"Really? Since when are you nice to me."

"Sorry, don't worry it won't happen again Granger."

"Whatever. Food will be ready in minute, just go sit somewhere." Hermione directed as she finished putting the finishing touches on dinner. Without any discussion she served up dinner and placed it in front of Draco. They sat in silence for most of the meal before Hermione finally spoke up.

"I am assuming that you have little exposure to the general mechanics of muggle life. I have to pop into work for a few minutes, and don't feel too comfortable with leaving you here. I also have to go shopping. I can give you a basic rundown of how to not kill yourself with muggle appliances, as well as supply up for the next few weeks. Sound okay?"

"Can I tell you no?"

"Not really, but I understand if you don't want to wander around muggle England with me."

"I guess I better get used to it." Draco shrugged and stood from the table. "Today has been really trying if you don't mind I'm headed to bed."

"Sure, I'll just clean up no problem." Hermione smirked. "No, don't worry about it. I'll wake you up bright and early." Hermione shut down his start to offer. Draco taking it wandered out and up to his room.

Draco never would have thought that he would be housed up with Hermione. Of all the people in the Wizarding world he thought that he would be shipped off to some squib somewhere with no connections to London at all. It sort of did make sense knowing that Harry Potter was the Auror assigned to his case. Who else would Harry trust enough to send him to.

The friendship between him and Potter had been surprising to say the least. It started at the first memorial held after the war. Draco had been through some tough times. After renouncing Voldemort right before the last battle and trying to feed the information that he knew to the Order, was trying there were many times that he wished he had switched sides sooner. Or at least feed better information to help save people. Since the end of the war Draco had hidden out in the manor, really just isolating himself from the wizarding world. He was an outcast. Many in the wizarding community still didn't trust him because his father was a main founder and backer of the Dark Lord and was now serving time is Azkaban. His mother had died in a raid on the manor by former Death Eaters just a few months before. A group of former Death Eaters had taken it upon themselves to try and regroup and rebuild in their ranks. It was when many reformed members turned rejoinment up that the killings started. It wasn't just those that had refused to join the new band of Death Eaters but it was those whom they felt had betrayed the loyalty and love of Voldemort the war. The attack on the Manor had been aimed at Draco. Luckily, or really unluckily as he saw it he had let to have lunch with Potter and had left his mother alone in the Manor. The group attacked and killed her on the spot when she wouldn't tell them where he was, Draco came home to find her cold lifeless body in the hall lying over the stain of Granger's blood that just couldn't be scrubbed away. Potter was called and an investigation was started. That was mainly why he was now in Granger's spare bedroom looking over the instruction manual that she had left for guests. The tome was a couple of hundred pages thick and at points read like a choose your own adventure novel. There were so many rules and regulations it seemed like it would never end there was also no way any sane person would not only design but keep such a thing in their home muggle or wizard. Truly this was the work of somebody who had lost all sense of control and was desperately grasping at straws to bring it back.

Hermione woke to the sounds of screaming in the middle of the night. The screams of somebody in the throes of great anguish and pain. At first it startled her as to why these sounds were being made, it soon dawned on her that they must be coming from her house guest. Malfoy. Feeling not only tired but a bit bitchy Hermione for the first time since moving into her place performed magic. She place a silencing charm. Satisfied by the silence she rolled over and fell into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione woke up early the next morning, her hope was that she would be able to get ready for the day with little interaction with Malfoy. Hermione knew that she would have to take him with her when she left to open the shop. Honestly Hermione was pissed that Harry had even thought that the two of them should be left alone together. Why did she always do what Harry asked? Hadn't she learned that even though he was like a brother to her that she shouldn't necessarily be with him all the time.

Going through her normal routine Hermione spent from 4: 30am to 5:15am doing the books for the store. Hermione found that it was easier to do the maths required early in the morning free from the stress and constant bombardment of people that the day would bring. From 5:15 to 5:45am she did her daily dose of yoga. 5:45 to 6:00am she finished her daily meditations, something that after her breakdown she found help calm and ease her into a better state of being. At 6:01am exactly she moved from her position on her office floor to the shower. Hermione would spend exactly 29 minutes in the bathroom showering and getting ready for the day. Today though was a little different even though everything went as normal she spent longer under the hot jets of her shower trying to relax a set of tense muscles that had started to form in her shoulders.

Hermione had just turned the shower off and was reaching for a towel when she heard a throat clear from the door. Looking up she Draco standing there. Fuming she let loose with her wandless magic and sent a stinging curse at him.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK GRANGER!" Draco screamed as it hit him hard in the chest. She had been aiming for his face, but she was a little rusty on all her spell work. Hermione was just glad that it actually hit him somewhere.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU MALFOY? DID YOU EVEN LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE THAT I HAD POSTED?!" Hermione screamed as she rushed to grab a towel to cover herself. After securing the towel Hermione grabbed a copy of the schedule that she had mounted on the back of the door.

"Look Malfoy, it clearly states that I have the bathroom until 6:30 and that guest usage doesn't start until 6:50 am. What time is it right now?" looking around to the clock that she had mounted to the wall in the hall it clearly stated that it was 6:33. Draco mumbled something about her needing to relax and that it was an honest mistake.

"Its 6:33 Malfoy. I don't have to be out of her for another 15ish minutes. If you would just follow the schedule that I have provided for you things will work and run more smoothly."

"Sorry I thought that you were finished."

"Whatever Malfoy." Hermione shoved past him and headed toward her bedroom

"We are leaving at 7:40. Not a minute or more after, but at 7:40, otherwise its going to be hell getting things done today. Normally scheduled departure is at 7:50, but we need to get you an oyster card. Hermione continued planning out all the things that could happen between now and then that might through the day out of whack.

Draco couldn't help but think that Hermione had fallen off of her rocker. That woman really need to have something done with all of her control issues. He was worried about all of the other things that he might actually happen during the time that he would be staying with her. Draco didn't mean to take too much time. He just did what he normally did in the morning. It wasn't until Hermione yelled at him to get a move on did he realize that he had two minutes before Hermione had wanted to leave and was only half dressed. quickly throwing on the rest of his clothing he made it to the front door with a 15 seconds to spare.

Hermione practically ran to the bus stop. it took all Draco could do to keep up with her. Two bus rides and a thirty minute walk later the two of them reached a tiny little bookstore in the middle of Heywood. Hermione spent most of the day telling him ridiculously amounts of information that he could care less about. There was more time keeping him to the back of the store than actually telling him what he could do to help the store. He didn't even get to meet the other employees. After the work day the two of them left with little word to each other. Reaching her place the two of them parted as Hermione went to change and get ready for the dinner at the Burrow.

Spending the evening at the Burrow was going to be a hard one for Hermione. It would be the first time that she in two years that she would be there with the Weasleys. It would be the first time in two years that she would be in a room with Ron, and she wasn't sure how she would be able to handle it. Teddy would be there as would James. If there were anybody that she would be okay with it would be playing with four year old Teddy, and three month year old James. Hermione wasn't sure how the whole Draco situation would go down. She knew that Harry and Draco were on friendly terms, but the uncertainty of knowing how the rest of the Weasley's felt of him was too much for her. The whole afternoon had her in a borderline panic attack. It also didn't help that Draco was just wondering the shop doing nothing really. He spent a lot of time flirting with Tanya one of her employees.

"Are you ready?" Draco shouted from the bottom of the stairs. His question brought Hermione back to the fact that she was just standing in front of the mirror in her room half dressed between what she had worn to work and the outfit that she had pick out last week specifically for this meeting. Slipping out of the high waisted pencil skirt that she had worn to work she put on a tailored pair of denim skinny trousers and a sleeveless button up black shirt. Grabbing a boyfriend sweater making sure that it was on and in place before slipping on a pair of converse. As Hermione reached the bottom Harry's owl with a package was knocking on the window. In the package was a book and a note.

"Really you're going to see him in like 10 minutes couldn't Harry have just given you the book when we got there."

"It's a portkey." Hermione stated flatly as she finished the note that accompanied the copy of Hogwarts a history. Harry thought he was quite the funny man. Draco was complaining about having to take it when the two of us could easily apparate.

"Don't you know anything?"

"I know lots of things I just don't know what we are port keying when both of us are perfectly capable of apparating." Draco whined as they waited for the book that Harry had sent over earlier to activate.

"Well lets think about this. I have been out of the magical world for almost three years and haven't apparated at any point during that time. You are supposed to be in hiding and magical signatures especially those around apparating can be tracked and monitored. Its for the best and more secure traveling this way." Draco had started to say something but Hermione couldn't hear what he was saying as the pull from the port key had caused his words to be lost and moments later the two of them were standing in the front garden of the Burrow.

"Hermione! It's so good too see you! I was wondering when you would finally come around." Molly swept her up into a smothering hug. It felt as if she were being crushed and possibly a crushed rib from the hug. Hermione moved to make it inside as Draco took her place wrapped in Molly's arms. Arthur stopped her before she could sneak inside the Burrow.

"I'm glad that you are here Hermione. We all have missed you." Arthur wrapped her in a hug that felt like it was coming from her own father. George took his turn next and picked her up and spun her around. By the time all had taken their turn in welcoming her back to the Burrow Hermione was wishing that she had just stayed home. She had forgotten how loud the family was and it didn't help that she felt like she was on eggshells trying to catch up on life with everybody else. Secretly she wished that she could just wander off with a book into the garden and forget everybody in the house. The noise level kept rising as time went on. The biggest contributor was baby James. James was screaming his head off and Ginny was doing everything that she could to calm him down. Hermione could tell that Ginny was getting extremely frazzled, Hermione also wished that she could do what James was doing right now. Just cry and scream. Feeling her connection with the baby, she just walked right over to Ginny snatched James out of her arms and almost instantly he had started to calm down. Taking him over to the rocking chair by the fireplace Hermione spent the time before dinner was served ignoring the rest of the chaos around her and just focused on singing and talking to James.

Ginny was extremely grateful that Hermione was able to calm James down. He scram like that every time George held him, she was convinced that he was hexing him, or pinching him, but he denied it and she could never catch him doing it, and it always took hours to calm him back down. Hermione had always been good with him, and now that she had been convinced to go to family functions, maybe George would leave her baby alone.

It was strange to Draco to see Hermione hiding in the corner with the baby James. Draco had been around Weasley's for almost a year now, but the level of noise and chaos that happened never ceased to amaze him. It was something that would have never of happened at the manor and he didn't seem to mind it. It did surprise him that the Hermione retreated in a corner so fast. He would have thought that she would have been in the midst of everything especially since he knew it had been quite along time since she had been back. Harry and Draco's friendship had started about the time that Hermione's relationship with Ron was falling apart. Draco could understand not wanting to come around but he would have thought the connection that she had with the family wouldn't have kept her from them too long. George, Charlie and Arthur all instantly cheered up when she came through the door. It was easy to see that the family not only deeply loved and cared for her but they had also missed her.

"Hush a bye. Don't you cry. All the pretty little horses." Hermione was lost singing to James that she didn't notice Arthur coming to sit by her. She finished singing and went to

"I just want to let you know that I am happy that you decided to over for dinner this week, and just know that I am always here for you love. I think of you as a second daughter, and I have missed you terribly." Arthur gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the head he then headed in to the kitchen to help Molly.

Ginny practically had to wrestle James out of Hermione's arms so she would join the family for dinner.

"Fine if you can feed James you can keep holding him." Ginny snarked as Hermione reluctantly gave up her safety blanket that was her god son. Slinking slowly to the dining room there was little choice as to where she could sit. There was a seat open at the end of the table next to Harry and one on the other end of the table in between Draco and Charlie. She stood there for a moment thinking over the different things that could happen between the two seats. Finally she decided that Ginny would probably like to sit next to her husband so she sneaked in between Charlie and Draco. Charlie noted her seating choice by giving a reassuring squeeze to her knee. Hermione decided that it was better if she just ignored the blonde on her right, and engaged in conversation with Charlie. It had been surprising to her that he was here and not in Romania but as it turned out he was severely injured and now working a desk job t the Ministry's Department of magical creature regulation. It was not nearly as exciting but it was a lot less dangerous. They chatted about the gossip in the wizarding world, and Charlie inquired about what she had been up since leaving/ Hermione told him all about the bookstore she was running and that took up most of her time but that was changing now that she had to babysit Draco.

"He's really not that bad." Charlie had started to defend Draco to Hermione. She glared

"Come on, he's not I mean he has changed a lot."

"Some people don't change."

"I know that you honestly don't believe that and he has changed. I will give you that there are people who haven't, take my boob of a brother Ron, he hasn't but the man on your other side has." Hermione just rolled her eyes and continued to push her food around on her plate, only making it look like she was eating. Others finished and moved on to various places of the house. Molly stood to clean up. Hermione stopped her and talked her into letting her clean up. It was with great reluctance that Molly left Hermione alone.

Taking off her sweater Hermione got to washing up the muggle way. It was long and took forever, but Hermione loved doing it that way. It took almost an hour before she was even close to being finished. She had just finished putting away the glasses when she a heard noise behind her.

"What do you want Ron?"

"I just want to make sure that you are okay."

"I am, would you now leave me alone?"

"I don't believe you. You're living with Draco it must be driving you crazy."

"Not as crazy as you" Hermione mumbled

"Look I know I handled things badly and I'm sorry." He kept glancing down at the multiple scars that covered Hermione's arms. Sensing his uncomfortableness with she moved to put her sweater back on.

"You don't have to put that on." Ron said as he kept staring at her arms

"You haven't stopped staring since you came in, and frankly you being uncomfortable is making me uncomfortable." Hermione said as she slipped on her sweater.

"I'm not uncomfortable."

"Your shifting eyes seem to speak otherwise." Hermione moved back to the sink to start on scrubbing the pans.

"You could use magic you know." Ron suggested after a few moments of silence. Hermione ignored him and continued with the pans. Ron waved his wand and with that the rest of the dishes. Hermione turned and set a death glare that would bring anybody to tears.

"I don't want to talk."

"Come on Hermione you need to be fair to me."

"I laid everything bare for you. I showed you everything and you left."

"I'm sorry."

"Saying you're sorry isn't going to magically fix it Ron. You hurt me. Its something that I can't just forget it Ron. I don't think that I ever will forget it." Hermione moved to push past him.

"Come on. Really. You're going to be like that."

"Fuck yes I'm going to be like that you wanker." Hermione shoved past him and into the living room, looking for the portkey, Harry and Draco so she could go home.

"Hermione come on." Ron had followed after her.

"I'm done. I don't want to talk to you." She made her way to Harry who was sitting in a corner with Charlie and Draco.

"Can I leave now?" Hermione asked abruptly interrupting what ever conversation the three men had been having.

"You can go whenever you want, no one is keeping you here." Ron stated.

"Come on activate the port key. I've been here longer than I agreed to and I am ready to go."

"What the hell did you do Ron?" Charlie questioned

"Nothing." Ron belted defensively

"The shouts from the kitchen would disagree with you." Draco spoke flatly at no one really.

"Why don't you stay out of this Malfoy." Ron spat. Draco put his hands up in defeat and sat back in his chair.

"If you want to leave so bad Hermione why don't you just go. No one is keeping you here." Ron stated.

"You're about as dumb as Malfoy. I can't just leave stupid. I have to take Malfoy with me and I haven't done any real magic, let alone traveling spells in years, Don't you think its going to look a little strange if I all of the sudden start using and Draco happens to be with me." Ron just gaped.

"That's what I thought you didn't. As for you two, Harry I am going to go and say goodbye to everybody when I get back you had better activate that port key and YOU Malfoy had better be ready to go." With that Hermione spun around and went to track everybody down to say her goodbyes. Molly was laying down in her room, the two women talked for a few moments Molly only agreed to let her go when she agreed that Hermione would be there next week for dinner. Ginny was changing James and surprised that she was leaving so soon.

"If I don't leave now I will kill your brother." Hermione stated as she planted a kiss on James's forehead. Ginny made plans to come and see her in the next week for lunch. Making her way to Arthur's work room outside she bid goodbye to Arthur and after a dizzying hug and a wet peck on the cheek George let her go not without telling her to not let Ron get her down and keep her away. In fact there was a new product that he wanted me to check out and potential carry in her store. Hermione told him he should show her next week, and she would only sell them if they weren't charmed in any way and did nothing harmful to muggles. George just rolled his eyes and kissed her again on the cheek before she left the work room.

Making her way back into the house Hermione could hear a whispered fight take place between Charlie, Ron and Ginny. Both Ginny and Charlie were presently ripping a new one into Ron. No one noticed that Hermione had made it into the house, not until Draco very loudly said her name. Startling everyone out of their yells the room got super quiet. She glared as she told Ron goodbye she gave Charlie a hug and Harry one as well. Taking the book from his hand she offered a corner to Draco and the two of them left for Hermione's place. After steadying herself she stormed up the stairs and into her room.


	3. Chapter 3

The crash of thunder was almost deafening, but it help cover a dark robed man as he broke through the magical wards and into the mansion in Northern Wales. It was an estate home that had been in the Pure blood family for generations. That was going to end to night. The robed figure was here to seek revenge for the betrayal that the family had brought upon pure bloods everywhere.

Slowly making his way through the house to the master suite, the robed man ascended three flights of stairs. There in the master bed room sleeping peacefully in the center was the target. It was all too easy. Reaching inside of the robe the man pulled out a knife and drove it into Blaise Zabini's chest. One hard slam and it was all over there was no struggle between the two, there was no unneeded spell casting and there was no need for wasted energy trying to subdue the target. His method was much more of a direct one that left time for more things to be accomplished.

To the luck really of the robed man he had drove the knife into his chest only needing to impale him once. Straight through his heart and ending the life.

Before the robed man left to find the rest of the blood traitors he left his signature, so to speak, on the wall written in Zabini's blood. The robed man left without a trace. Blaise wasn't found until two days later when his cleaning lady came into to do her usual cleaning. The Aurors were called in. There was a mad scramble to try and find other former members and place them in hiding as well as trying to find the ones that were already in hiding and securing their safe houses.


	4. Chapter 4

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing."

"Harry made you didn't he?"

"No, I really wanted to stop by…"

"Cut the crap Charlie."

"Ok fine he wanted to see if the two of you were okay and to check the place out."

"Why what happened?"

"Nothing." he said faster than he intended.

"Whatever just get in and do what you were sent to." Hermione stepped aside so that Charlie could come in. He stood awkwardly in the entryway really not sure if he should just start wandering around or wait for Hermione to take him around.

"Just get on with it. Draco I think is in his room." Hermione snapped when she saw that he was just standing behind her.

So, you're okay with me just wandering around."

"No, but the faster you do it the sooner you will leave." Charlie started his sweep of the house. He cleared the first floor and was headed up to the second, before Hermione found him.

"Are you going to tell me what this is about yet?" Charlie had moved from the stairs to Hermione's room.

"This is nice." Charlie commented as he nonchalantly wandered around Hermione's room.

"And you're going to start telling me or you can leave."

"There was another attack last night and we just wanted to make sure that everything was okay" Charlie had started to pick up Hermione's teddy that she sleeps, from the floor.

"Alright I think you are done in here." Hermione snatched her nighty away from Charlie and pushed him out of her room. Charlie chuckling to himself quickly checked her office and then moved to the two guest rooms.

Draco was sitting on his bed reading a book and seemed a little put out that he was interrupted by Charlie and Hermione. When Charlie felt satisfied with both his sweep and a reinforcement of the wards that Hermione had in place he ushered the two downstairs to talk about what had happened.

"Look there was an attack last night. Aurors arrived too late and found Blaise Zabini dead. It's looking like Draco may need to be here longer than was originally thought."

"Do I have any say in this or have you, Harry, and the rest of the Magical Law Enforcement Department decided for me."

"Come on Hermione I know you hate me but this is my life here." Hermione just glared harder.

"Unfortunately we will be leaving him here. It really does look like this will be the best place to keep him

"Y0u don't think that somebody will figure out where he is?"

"We're hoping that it doesn't happen."

"Really? God damn fuckfaces! The lot of you!" Hermione stormed out of the living room and up to her office.

"We're working on her outbursts." Draco stated flatly "Compared to when I showed up she is significantly down on the fuck words used when yelling, so I would say that we are improving."

"Well I guess that's a good thing." Charlie chuckled.

"I guess."

"When or even if she cools off let her know that I'll be back in a few weeks to run another check." With that Charlie left. Draco just grunted his goodbye as Charlie left through the front door. All Draco knew was that he was here stuck in a house with a pissed off Hermione once again. He guessed that he should just get used to it. It looked like an up tight and high strung Hermione was all he was going to get.

After sitting in the living room and reading just about everything that Hermione had just laying around which included two muggle textbooks on accounting and business law. Before too long he got hungry and started to rummage through Hermione's cupboard. The woman had absolutely nothing. It was a wonder that the woman wasn't dead from starvation. After a few moments of contemplation he decided to head up stairs and knock on her door, all in the quest for food.

Hermione had been sitting in her room going over what she could have done in her past to get saddled with Draco. She figured that it was Harry's way of telling her that she should have stayed and made it work with Ron. Which was never going to happen. It was a mistake in the first place to think that the two of them could be good friends let alone have a real and meaningful relationship. All it took was one too many nights of Ron coming home plastered after a quidditch match and the complete lack of sympathy and empathy the night Hermione finally opened up and should Ron her scars. Hermione didn't even get to tell him how most of them happened all she saw was the look of disgust on his face as he looked at her. That look told her all she needed to know about who Ron Billius Weasley really was and that was the biggest asshatt on the planet. Hermione knew that she couldn't spend her whole life ignoring Ron and that at some point she would have to confront the way that their relationship literally blew up. Hermione wasn't ready for that and frankly at this point in time it was just easier to take all of the anger that she had been keeping since third year really and focus it all towards her now utter hate for Ron.

The rant that she had been carrying on in her head was interrupted by a soft knock on her door.

"Hey Hermione. I hate to bother you, but there seems to be nothing in your house to eat, and I know that you might be on some sort of hunger strike, but I'm not and could really use some food."

"Give me a minute." mumbling about how the visit from Charlie had thrown off her whole schedule and she didn't know what she was going to do now to accommodate. Opening the her door she found Draco sitting on the floor opposite of the door, looking like a sad little child.

"Let's order some food and I have some errands to run. Charlie has completely thrown my schedule off." Heading to the front room Hermione ordered Draco a pizza cave him the money for it and left to do her errands.

Leaving Draco alone was something that she didn't read want to do. Hermione had this nagging fear that something terrible was going to happen to her home whilst she was away. Fuck Malfoy there would really be no lose if she came back to find her house empty, but if she found anything out of place there would be hell to pay.

Draco figured he didn't have too much time to be left by his self. If he read this über uptight version of Granger right she would be fretting right now about whether or not he was going to distort the house. Of course by distort that meant moving something out of its place. Draco figured that he could use the little amount of time that he did have to try and learn as much as possible about this version of Hermione. As soon as the pizza was bought he ditched on the counter and high tailed it up stairs. Reaching the door to the office Draco slowly opened the door. Almost afraid that if he didn't he would very likely set off some sort of alarm. Surprisingly enough there was nothing magical or muggle like that on the door. Stepping in Draco found himself in a room covered from floor to ceiling in bookcases full of books. In the center of the room was a larger desk that was covered in pictures.

Deciding that was probably a good place to start Draco sat down behind the desk and went to stuffing the frames perched upon it. There was a mixture of muggle and magically pictures. The pictures had been organized chronologically, looking at the left side of the desk there were pictures of Hermione pre Hogwarts. Skipping over the few pictures of happy families and vacations and the times that the were in school he reached the middle of the desk. Sitting in the middle half hidden by other pictures was one that was taken after the battle of hogwarts. Hermione look beat and worn. If he hadn't known better it almost looked like this was a picture of somebody who had just lost the battle not won it. Her smile was forced but there she was sitting on the steps sandwiched between Harry and Ron. There were pictures of her with Ron. Hermione playing with Teddy. There was a series of Hermione and her parents in what must have been Australia. Those pictures showed a happy Hermione. One that only showed in the pictures pre third year. The last photo on the desk of of Hermione and her parents along with all of the Weasleys and Harry.

It was after looking at this photo that Draco noticed be had been wiping dust off of the desk and the pictures the whole time he was there. It had obviously been a long while since this desk and these pictures had been used. He was damned sure that Hermione would notice that he had been looking at these pictures, be really didn't care. There was more concern as to why these happy moments whereby on display throughout the house like the should be. Placing the last picture down Draco took to a quick scanning of her bookshelves seeing that not only were they highly organized but the where we'll read and used. Looking to see if there was a place that would go on noticed he snatched a couple of new books to replace the ones that he had finished reading that where I his room. Moving towards the door he figured that he had a few more minutes and beeline in to snoop through her room.

It was messier than expected. There was a discarded black lace nighty on the ground and the bed was unmade. That was the only personality to the room. Hermione's room looked and felt like it could have been a room from a hotel.

Not wanting to get caught he quickly shut the door and headed to eat his now cold pizza thinking only to the fact that Hermione wore sexy nighties to bed. If anything he expected that she would sleep in something that reflected the persona that she gave off, something like a long flannel nightie off putting and cold.


	5. Chapter 5

**T**he next week flew by fairly quickly Draco learned and followed most of Hermione's ridiculous rules, only discarding a few minor ones if only to see how long it took for Hermione to either stop the guidelines or to see how long it too before she spun out of control and kick Draco out. He knew that it was terrible but hey what else was there to do being stuck in either the house or Hermione's book shop.

The relationship between the two had started to warm, or that's how Draco saw it. Hermione had started to speak to him and in a tone that could be considered friendly. The two of them had been eating meals together, working in the bookstore. It seemed that most of the time was spent together and really Draco didn't mind. He saw that she wasn't the stuck up know it all that he had thought she had been in school. Draco saw her for what she was, and what she may not see in herself. She was a strong and beautiful woman, there was obviously something that she wasn't telling and keeping closely guarded. Today was the first time since Charlie showed up that Draco was being allowed to be left alone in the house. Draco wasn't sure if it was the fact that she wanted to throttle him or if he had established some sort of trust with Hermione. He liked to believe that it was the later.

Hermione didn't want to admit it to anybody but Draco was starting to grow on her. She could see that Charlie was right when he told her that he had changed. Either that or he was luring her into a false sense of security before he pulled out the old Draco and pounced on her. It was something that she feared, and she knew that it was not very likely, but it was there nonetheless. If anything was the matter it was the fact that she could feel the wall that she had spent years building starting to crack around him.

That Thursday like every Thursday since Ginny and Harry got married Hermione had lunch with her best friend. It was during this meeting that she learned more about Draco, and it wasn't all bad. The purpose of the lunch really wasn't to try and get Ginny to talk about Draco, and Ginny would swear that her intent wasn't to get her to try and see Draco for the man that he had be come, but slowly that is where the conversation lead them to. The two women had finished with their lunch and had started a stroll down the street. The conversation slowly shifted from life and baby James to Hermiones shop and finally the information that Ginny really wanted to know. How Hermione was surviving with Draco Malfoy in her house. The last five minutes was spent with Ginny trying to probe information from the tight lipped Hermione. Ginny had gotten that there was something that had happened between the two that she wasn't going to share.

"What has he done?" Ginny asked

"Nothing, really its just him."

"Come on you have got to have something he's done?"

"Well, I think he has been going through my study. I can't prove exactly prove it."

"What do you me?" Hermione proceeded to tell her how she entered her office and found that something's had been moved around. "

"Maybe you moved them yourself." Ginny supplied.

"I didn't"

"How can you be so sure"

"The Dust"

"What?"

"The dust there were trails in the dust and some of the items the dust had been completely cleaned off. "

"So he did some dusting."

"Its not that its that he went into the room. It clearly states in the guide book that I gave him that he isn't supposed to go near that room. I know I verbally told him as well. "

"Really you gave him the book? I thought Harry and I had destroyed all the copies."

"Physical yes, but I printed another after you did."

"You really need to see somebody about that."

"No, I don't."

"Come on it's weird and you know it."

"So, its a little weird, and its not like he follows it anyway. He's 'accidently' walked in on my bathroom time twice now."

"Oh really?"

"Its nothing."

"Sure. Nothing." Ginny said with a smirk as she sipped her tea.

"Is there something that I need to know?"

"Other than he likes to push the boundries with you because he thinks its funny."

"Of course he does."

"We've all told you that he has changed, but that doesn't mean that he atop isn't in some ways the Malfoy we knew in school. Really he's just more mopey and less of a pure blooded elitist. He can be really fun and sweet when he wants."

"I'm sure he can be."

"Honestly I was super skeptical about him when first started to hang around with Harry. Now it's like I miss him coming over on Saturdays for dinner. He's part of the family now. Nothing is going to change that."

"Yeah I know how that goes. "

"Hey we only adopt the good ones into the family. You really should give him a chance. Before you go off again I know it hasn't been easy for you and that Ron has been a total douche. I know that Harry kind of just dumped him on you but don't let this shit get you down. Are we going to see you tomorrow and Sunday?"

"Yeah I guess I can do that. I'll even bring your favorite snake."

"You better" She kissed Hermione on the cheek as she stepped onto her train. Hermione waited for her train thinking about the lunch that she just had with her best friend. There was a lot of time spent thinking about what the last few weeks had changed in Her life. Mainly her thought focused on the blonde man that had been thrust on her. Deep down Hermione knew that everyone was right when they said that Draco had changed it wasn't hard to see that. It was that he changed at all that had Hermione's head all twisted up. She was living with the man who had literally made her life a living hell made fun of her hexed her did all manor of things just because she wasn't a pure blood. There was then the fact that she was captured and tortured in his house by his aunt with him looking on at one point. There was so much hate and anger in their past that Hermione was unsure if she would be able to forget about it.

Headed into her book shop Hermione was greeted to the site of Draco shamelessly flirting with Tanya, her Tuesday Thursday afternoon help. The two were standing at the counter whilst Tanya was showing Draco how to "run" the catalogue. It was obvious that the two of them were not paying any attention to the two customers in the store on of which was trying with no avail to flag down some help. The sight of Tanya leering all over Draco stirred something deep inside of Hermione, she told herself that it was irritation at the fact that she wasn't doing her job and paying unneeded attention to the twat. Approaching the customers Hermione was able to help the two customers before the two even noticed that she had even come back.

"Tanya." Hermione chirped finally gaining the woman's attention. Almost leaping out of her skin Tanya separated herself from Draco and her little lesson.

"Yes?"

"There are some books in the back that need to be placed on the new display. Would you please go and set it up?"

"Yeah sure." Tanya sighed as she finally pulled her eyes away from Draco.

"Also when you finish you can clock out and go. We're going to close early tonight."

"Alright." Tanya added mumbling something under her breath as she headed to the back room.

"Granger thank Merlin's bollocks you showed up. I don't know how much longer I would have lasted with her." Draco said in a toned that could almost be believed as relief

"Yeah it looked like you were just being tortured."

"Come on she is insufferable. How do you work with her let only get anyone to buy things. She's terrible."

"She really isn't that bad." Hermione knew that she really was that bad and maybe worse she just couldn't fire the girl. Where she might have been cold and cut off with the whole Draco situation, in the life that she had made for herself her she really quite the push over. really a shell of her former self.

"Really maybe you should quiz her on your stock." Draco shot back. Draco took in her comment and knew that she was lying, but if she wanted to believe that it was the truth he wasn't going to push it.

"Who I employ is really none of your business Malfoy. Now would you be so kind as to help me with closing procedures. I am sure we will finish before she finishes." The two quietly went about going through the closing procedures which included cleaning things that didn't need to be cleaned and slowly locking everything up. Hermione had been wrong in her statement that they would finish before they had even got to counting the till. It could have been due to the fact that it took Draco a moment and some very pointed instructions from Hermione before he finally got the contraption to work. Tanya let her know that she was finished and asked if there was anything she needed to do. Hermione assured her that Draco and herself could handle it.

"Ginny wants you to come to dinner Saturday." Hermione stated flatly as the two started to count the till.

"Yeah?"

"She says she misses you."

"I'm sure she does."

"I didn't know you all were so chummy."

"Yeah well that's what happens when no one else wants Draco Malfoy around."

"But she's a Weasley don't you Malfoy's have some sort of allergy to each other?"

"Like most of the things I grew up with. That is just bullshit. I happen to…"Draco paused and pulled a sneering glare before he continue "If you ever repeat this not only will I deny it till I die, but once I get my wand back when all of this bullshit is over I will hex you." Not really scared by the threat Hermione just nonchalantly nodded for him to continue.

"I happen to like Ginny between her and Charlie they make visits fun and worth going to. That and of course the amount of food she and Molly seem to think I need. I haven't had to worry about meals for almost three years."

"I'm glad they found a new person to give food too. Molly used to load me with enough food for three telling me that I never ate enough."

"Well you don't"

"Whatever Malfoy, and since when would it matter to you?" having liked the peaceful conversation that the two had been having he just rolled his eyes and made to change the subject.

"Why did you leave anyway?"

"Just needed a change." There was something in her eyes and that way that she said it that Draco knew that there must be more to her statement but didn't press it. He was liking the fact that there was little yelling and cursing between the two.

The two worked and left in a silence that neither one wanted to break. Reaching home the two silently ate the leftovers that Hermione warmed up and headed to bed.

The week passed with less yelling anger from both sides than the week before. HErmione seemed to be relaxing and that was a good thing. Half of the time she would through the "rules" away and just live like she didn't need all the structure reinforcing her life. A reinforcement that Hermione's life could go the way that she wanted it to. In the times that she let her guard down, Draco could see a change for the better in her. Hermione smiled and joked around. She was almost like the teenaged girl that he had seen at school. Though it was a rare site to see a carefree Hermione even then, but it made it all the more better now.

Although it was clear that she still had her reservations about Draco and really why she needed to baby sit him, Draco was growing on her. Of course Hermione would never admit that out loud or to anybody, but it was nice to have somebody there everyday and the fact that this situation caused her to spend more time with the Weasley only filled a hole in her heart that she didn't want to admit she had. With the death of her parents Molly and especial Arthur had come to take a place in her like parents. Of course there was no way to actually replace them, but they did help fill a void. With the filling of that void was one of the reasons that she stayed away from them for so long after she and Ron split up and well the rest of her life falling apart. It was to Hermione almost as if she was betraying the memory of her parents letting Arthur and Molly in in that way.

Draco and Hermione were sitting next to each other at the next Weasley get together. Dinner had finished and they had moved into the living room to relax and talk. Hermione had almost literally wrestled James from Harry, and was holding him quietly humming to herself and baby James. Draco was enthralled with the scene that was playing out right next to him. He couldn't help but sneak sly looks at her throughout the course of the evening. There was something different about this Hermione. This Hermione almost resembled the ones in the pictures. There was almost a care free spirit about her when she locked out everyone else and focused on James. It was like with James all could be right in the world. Draco had never seen a person switch like she did when she was with James, Draco found himself wishing that this Hermione. The one that wrapped her everything good into the here and now. The Hermione that looked like she could almost smile and mean it. Draco decided that no matter how long it took he was going to get that Hermione do stay.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a good month that Draco had been staying with Hermione. He kept his nose clean, so to speak. He followed her crazy schedules at home and at work. Even if he did drive her crazy by not following it to the absolute letter. He loved to mess with her structure. It honestly drove him absolutely batty that everything had to be completely planned out and every possible scenario plus three more just to be sure that every outcome that could happen could be effectively planned for. Hermione seemed to also loosen up and let her hair down, so to speak.

After Ginny mentioned the fact that Draco might still be experiencing night terrors she took down the silencing charm and had slipped out of bed a few times to wake Draco from his screams. The two of them never spoke about it after words, but Hermione had started to make breakfast for them in the mornings. Breakfast was usually a silent affair, but by the time the two of them opened her book shop the friendly banter started and lasted till after Draco made dinner and the two retired.

The last week there was a change in Hermione. All the loosening. All the niceties disappeared and it was like Draco was back living with the Hermione that he encountered on the first day.

Draco had been banished to the back of the store as lieu of some sort of punishment. He wasn't sure what he could have done to make her so upset, but whatever it was Monday afternoon while he was restocking shelves Hermione fuming bullied him into the back room and saddled him with the task of reorganizing the stock room. The way that Hermione had asked him to "fix" the back was ridiculous he know that he was only given the task so that he wasn't in the front of the store "distracting the other employees." as she had put it. Bullshit. Hermione was just upset that he got along better with her staff than she did and as some sort of punishment gave him the impossible task of organizing the stock author and title alphabetical. Draco instead ordered it to mirror the storefront, ordered by subject than author then title. Which he had completed pretty fast for not using magic if he had to say so himself.

Hermione was pissed when she came to the back to see that leaving him alone for a week in the back was a completely terrible idea. The detailed plan that she had left for him to follow he completely pushed it off to the side.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!" Hermione yelled as she took a real hard look around the place. Draco dropped the stack of books that he had been holding. It scared the hell out of him to her Hermione be so upset.

"You told me to reorganize the back. So I reorganized the back." Draco shrugged as he bent to pick up the books he had dropped.

"I gave you a detailed plan to follow." Hermione summoned the binder that she had created for the purpose. It fell from the exact spot that she had set it down when she first gave him the task to clean the back.

"Did you even look at this? You have everything so wrong and backwards." she started to frantically flip through the book and compare it to the stock that Draco had been moving.

"Godric Hermione its fine. Its ordered just like the front. I just…"

"If I wanted to have it organized LIKE THE FRONT I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU TO DO IT THAT WAY!"

"Granger."

"No don't Granger me Malfoy. Get your ass out front and help Tanya close." Draco did as he was told knowing that it wouldn't be the best to just go and help. He would try and figure out where this outburst of anger was coming from later. Draco thought that they were done with her yelling and freaking out for no reason. Especially after all the time that they had spent together. Draco had thought and dare he admit hoped that Hermione was starting to warm up to him.

Hermione knew that it was unfair to be taking her anger out on Draco, but this week was coming up the the anniversary of her parents murders and as always it was difficult for her. There was still so much guilt and pain that Hermione carried with their passing that she blamed herself and as always didn't. Like when Hermione first took their memories she rationalized it that it was the only way to keep them safe and she did all she could to protect them. Their deaths weren't her fault. The grief still bubbled and brewed within herself and the pain always manifested into anger. It was easier to be angry at the world than to let the tears flow from her eyes.

Taking a look around the back Draco had she would admit done a real bang up job. There was no way that she would telling that especially now after her blow up. It was just easier to anger than to admit defeat to her emotions.

The two had argued the whole way from the bookshop home. Their yells drew attention the two other wise would not have gotten. The fight started over Draco's lack of ability to listen and follow directions. She knew that he was deliberately disregarding everything to be the asshole that she knew that he was.

"Fuck you Malfoy." Hermione screamed as she slammed the door in his face upon arrival.

"Do you know what your problem is? You need to relax Granger."

"I need to relax. I can't relax. Last time…" Hermione took a deep breath. "Last time I relaxed, my parents were killed." tears started to fill her eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't know"

"Of course you didn't it's not like we are or have ever been bosom friends. Why would I just tell you?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I am trying to be the bigger person and apologise for every wrong that has happened to you since Hogwarts. I'm sorry about everything I did and didn't do."

"You think that just apologising can just fix it. That all the mental emotional and physical scars that I have are just going to disappear and we are going to be friends? Sorry that's not going to happen."

"I know that I hurt you in many ways and that the physical scars left she left…" Draco started

"There's more than just what your aunt did to me. No I'm not going to show you. I still do not believe or trust you." Hermione walked up the stairs to the bathroom. She drew a bath and slowly stripped looking at herself in the mirror. Hermione was so much different than the picture that she had projected to the world. She had so many scars. Yes there was the word "mudblood" carved into her left arm, but there was more along with carving that Bellatrix had card a dark mark on her right thigh. There was a few scars scattered along her torso from hexes hitting her during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Final Battle. That wasn't all crossing down her right arm and left thigh were a complex pattern of scars that Hermione had done herself. Nobody knew about her problem with cutting. It had started her first year of Hogwarts, usually triggered after a fight with Malfoy or Ron. It got really bad after the war after she found out that her parents had been found, and tortured and killed. After that and the stress from working and Ron being the complete ass he is, Hermione snapped. If Harry hadn't of found her she would have bled out completely. After a month in St. Mungo's it was decided that it would be for the best if she left. So she did. Everything was fine until Harry showed up with that prat. That source of so much pain in her early days. There was so much that Harry didn't know, but he had to of known that there was nothing good that could have happened with sending Draco to be with her.

Hermione's bath was a long and hot one. It was a bath of hope that all the hurt and pain could be scrubbed and scalded away. There in the tub Hermione could feel the tight control that she had on her world was slipping and she could feel it. Feelings that she hadn't felt since before she tried to kill herself, since before the trauma of the war. All the adolescent hurt and pain that sat under the surface was bubbling up. The urge to hurt herself was rising and she knew that hurting herself in anyway was not a way to solve the feelings that she had. Sitting there just under the surface of the water Hermione contemplated her life and her existence. She thought long and hard about the man downstairs that she had fought with for so many years. Hermione needed someone to vent to and she wasn't sure where to turn.

Meanwhile Draco was kicking himself down stairs. He knew that apologizing wouldn't be enough. He didn't know if he could ever truly show Hermione that truly had changed and he truly was sorry for everything that had happened to her. Knowing what little that she revealed to him in her fit of rage she had become a more beautiful person to him. Draco had always secretly liked Hermione, she was smart and a bloody brilliant witch, muggle born or not. His feelings only intensified after Yule Ball and when she found him crying in the bathroom. There was just something magical about her that he couldn't explain. Something about her that he was drawn to. It was one of the reasons he so readily agreed to stay with her when Potter suggested it.

Draco wanting to try and make up at least a little bit he made dinner. It was nothing extravagant. Despite what Hermione thought he did know how to function in the world with muggle appliances. Draco for the past three years himself have been living in muggle London. At first it was difficult and hard to even turn on a light and for a while he kicked himself for not taking the muggle studies class. Now it was almost second nature. Like he had never not lived in the muggle world. He finished cooking and setting the table. It sounded like Hermione was still in the bath. He made is way to the door and knocked.

"I know you are probably still mad, but I made some food and if you're interested I would love to share it with you." He stood there for a moment hearing water slosh and start to drain. The door slowly opened a crack.

"You haven't poisoned it have you?" She asked meekly

"No I haven't." Hermione seemed to weigh this out, not sure if she should believe him or not. Apparently she did believe him because she quickly responded.

"I'll be down in a moment." The door closed and Draco took that as his cue to head back down stairs. Hermione waited a moment. Taking a deep breath and wrapping herself in her towel tighter she headed to her room to get dressed. Buried in the back of the closet she found what she was looking for after a few moment of searching. She pulled on flannel bottoms that once belonged to her father, they were long and baggy. She tied and cuffed them to fit, and slowly pulled on a Weird Sister, sweater that once belonged to a Weasley brother, Charlie if she remembered correctly. It was large and baggy but the sleeves were maybe a centimeter too short. Stretching too much might expose her, but why would should she? Pulling her hair into a bun on top of her head and headed to the kitchen. Waiting for her was Draco, and a plate of some delicious looking stir fry. The two sat next to each other silently eating.

"This is delicious, thank you." Hermione said without lifting her eyes from her plate.

"You're welcome." The two of them ate in silence.

"Well I'll just clean up" Draco said after he finished his meal. He took his plate and began to wash up leaving Hermione to continue push her food around and slowly eating it. Finally finishing what she could she stood and took her plate to the sink. Hermione reached around Draco and placed her dish in the sink. It was an ill planned move the sleeve of her right arm slid from its place to show a large pink and puckered scar, there was at least good two inches showing and it still disappeared under the cuff of her sleeve.

Draco didn't know what had come over him, maybe it was seeing the pain in her eyes the other day, maybe it was the size and breadth of the scar. Maybe it was because he had always secretly harbored some deep feelings for her. Maybe he wanted to take her pain away from her and make her into the strong independent women that he knew she was. Maybe it was something else or perhaps it was a mix of all of it, but he took Hermione's wrist, and slowly pulled her sleeve up a little further. Despite her loud protests and Hermione trying to pull her arm away. Draco slowly raised her arm to his lips. Before bring his scar in contact with his lips, Hermione froze. He looked deeply into her honey colored eyes hoping that his grey eyes could tell her everything that he was feeling. Everything that he had always wanted to tell her, but never did. While holding her gaze he kissed her scar. It was the most touching and intimate act either had either experienced.

"I really truly am sorry for everything." Draco whispered after his lips left her wrist. He turned around and continued to wash the dishes.

Hermione was in shock. She didn't know what to do. Here was an individual, the source of so much pain and hurt in her life. Doing something that the boy, she was so madly in love with couldn't even do. Ron was someone with whom she thought she was close with someone whom she thought truly loved her, and yet when Hermione opened up to him and showed him her scars he freaked out. Which she had expected what she didn't expect was the way that he treated her after words. The looks the refusal to leave her alone, the inability to touch her. Two weeks it went on. Finally Hermione had had enough and left in a furry, refusing to talk to him. Then again here was Draco fucking Malfoy the big bad in her personal life a man who she thought could not be able to be so understanding and touching gave her the reaction that she wanted from Ron.

Still frozen standing behind Draco she couldn't keep the tears from falling. Draco didn't notice until Hermione's tears turned into sobs.

"Hey its okay." Draco wrapped his arms around her and followed her to the floor. Holding him to her. She just sobbed harder. The harder she sobbed the tighter that Draco held onto her.

"Shhhhh" Draco slowly rocked her back and forth in the middle of her kitchen every once in a while placing kisses on the crown of her head. The sincerity and love that radiated from him was overwhelming and made her cry harder. Why couldn't this be the response from the man she thought she loved. The one that she had been through hell, quite literally with. The sat there Hermione held in Draco's arms crying her soul out for Godrick knows how long.

"Why are you being so nice and understanding?" Hermione questioned after the tears had slowed and she could trust her voice again.

"Maybe I'm just trying to make up for being such a prat? Maybe this is how I really am? Or maybe I just think you deserve the best and to know that you haven't had that make me hurt for you." He was staring into her eyes again and tears had started to show. They sat there staring for a few moments before Draco broke the silence again.

"Why don't you go sit on the couch. I'll finish up here and we can talk if you would like." Draco placed a final kiss on the crown of Hermione's head. slowly she rose and walked to the living room. What felt like seconds, but had to be more Draco slid next to her and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

"Do you want to tell me about them" Draco asked softly. Tears had started to gather in Hermione's eyes again. Softly shaking her head no. How could Hermione share that what he saw was only the tip of the iceberg that the her scars ran deeper and further than she wanted to open up to him. Instead she just sat crying in his arms. Neither moved and neither said anything they just sat in each others arms a move that both if they were being honest with themselves wanted to do for a very long time, neither would admit it to the other though. The minutes slowly because hours. The sun slowly slipped away and still they sat. At some point Hermione fell asleep and Draco soon after. The two of them wrapped up in each other slept a peaceful sleep that neither had had since before the war.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N I just wanted to drop a quick line to you all and say thank you to all of you who have fav. and followed this story as well as reviewed. Thank you all for reading my work!**

This time it was harder to find the next traitor. The ministry was getting smarter and had come to hide away many a blood traitor. It took time and that was alright. This time instead of days of planning it took weeks. Weeks of tracking and recruiting. It was hard, but the time persevered. The next target was acquired.

After careful planning and watching of the house the robed woman made her way into the house. It might have been the wait or it could have been the fact that the Parkinsons were always a vain family. Whatever the case it was one of the easier attacks that they had perpetrated in a long time. It was so easy in fact that there was a worry that it might be a trap.

It was almost 2 am when the attack happened. Pansy was staying in with her parents. The three had retired some hours before. There was a need to make sure that everything was still that everything was perfect before the strike.

Slipping past the wards, many of the old Pureblood families immediately changed their wards when it was made known that they were being targeted. It seemed that the vanity hadn't really changed and the Parkinsons never changed their wards. It was all to her advantage though. She was able to do what was needed.

Slowly creeping through the dark house the dark clothed woman made it to the master bedroom. once there the carnage began. Without the occupants of the room ever knowing what happened she plunged the sharp dagger that was used in the other murders into the chest of Mr. and than Mrs. Parkinson. After collecting blood from both lifeless bodies. The woman made her way down the hall and into Pansy's room. Once there she couldn't help but slash Pansy's face as she lay asleep. The sudden attack woke Pansy. Not being able to see what was going on or who was attacking her Pansy let out scream after blood curdling scream as she tried in vain to grab her wand.

The knife kept coming at the woman. After a final desperate scream from Pansy, the woman plunged the knife into Pansy's heart, effectively ending her life.

Making quick work the woman took some of the blood from Pansy walked to her wall and left a message for the Aurors.


	8. Chapter 8

Waking up early the next morning Hermione panicked. For a few moments she was confused as to where she was and why there was unfamiliar warmth underneath her. It wasn't until she heard a manly groan that it dawned on her that she was sleeping a top Draco on the couch in her living room. Trying to wiggle off of him it it only made the arms wrapped around her waist pull her in tighter.

"Hold still" Draco mumbled still have asleep.

"You have to let me go." Hermione pleaded

"No"

"I have to pee" with that Draco relaxed his arms and mumbled that she better not be lying as he rolled onto his side. Oh course she was lying, Hermione was trying to not freak out at the moment. Waking up in Draco's arms had been the past thing she expected. Okay maybe the fact that she was enjoying the feeling that was waking up in Draco's arms was the last thing she expected either way the rest of the day was probably going to be weird.

Hermione took her time showering and getting ready for a long awkward day at the bookstore. She knew that she needed to be angry at him or things might look strange, and by strange she obviously was afraid that people would think that the two of them were fucking which wasn't the case at all not even remotely close to the case. Lost in thought as she wandered down to make breakfast she was a little taken aback to see that Draco had already gotten up and made french toast for the two of them

"About last night." Hermione started. Hoping that in her bring up last night she would be able to get the upper a hand and define what was happening

"Don't worry about it its nothing." Draco coolly brushed off.

"oh well I just wanted to apologize for anything inappropriate that I may have done."

"it's ok nothing happened. Now eat your breakfast." the two sat in silence neither one completely sure how to adjust to the shift that had taken place between them. Neither one wanting to break the comfortable silence. Hermione was half finished with stack when there was a loud knock on the door. grumbling she went and answered it.

"Hiya love I hoped that I had caught you before you left for work." Charlie Weasley had swept her up into his arms and into a deep kiss. Before he let her down he whispered in a tone that Hermione almost didn't hear herself. "Just play along."

"Charlie what a surprize you know I hate surprises." Hermione stated coolly as she let him into her flat.

"I brought breakfast." Charlie stated holding up a bag of doughnuts.

"What's happen now? There was another attack wasn't there?"

"Yes." Charlie stated with absolutely no emotion as started to make his way around Hermione's house checking and reinforcing the wards.

" Do you know who is behind it yet?"

"No still working on it, but we're hoping that with this last one that we might catch a break."

"Is it still safe for Draco to be here? Is it even safe for me to be here?"

"Yes, the Auror department has every confidence that no one knows that he is here and your wards seem to be absolutely perfect. There is no reason that you all shouldn't keep on with whatever it is you do."

"Who died this time?" Draco asked as he walked into the foyer to see where Hermione had went. Upon seeing Charlie there was only one conclusions as to way he was here.

"Umm...I... not sure." Charlie stumbled over his words obviously trying to decide if he should tell Draco.

"Come on I made breakfast and you can tell me all about which one of my former classmates got slaughtered and how. Hermione moved back to her place and tucked back into her food, she also wasted no time in claiming doughnuts from the bag in Charlie's hand. Draco wordlessly placed a large plate in front of Charlie.

"This is really good. You made these Draco?"

"Yes, I don't know why everyone seems surprised at my cooking skills. Also flattery although greatly appreciated it will not get you out of telling me who died. Now spill."

"It was the Parkinson's this time."

"Was Pansy home."

"Yes. This is the first time that a whole family has been killed in one go. It looks like the individuals or individuals as some of us believe are getting better. I mean it makes sense with people going into hiding, that they would improve."

"Well they had to of been watching the Parkinson's and Pansy for awhile to get the timing just right. She hasn't lived with her parents for years, let alone stay overnight."

"Really? We were under the impression that she was living with them and had been for awhile."

"The last time I talked to Pansy was a like two days before I was sent to live with Granger here. She was telling me all about this new place that she had moved into and how excited she was to have a lot of distance between her and her parents."

"Well this was good." Charlie stated pointing at his empty plate. "I hate to eat and leave but you've shed some light on somethings. I'll see you all at the Burrow Sunday."with that Charlie left before either one was able to say anything.

"Well as strange as that was I need to go open up the book shop. I understand if you would rather stay here today then come to the shop especially after yesterday." Hermione sheepishly stated hoping that he would choose to come along with her

"I hide and they have the power. I'm coming with you." Draco said as he moved Hermione's face so he could look into Hermione's eyes. For a brief moment he thought he saw a flicker of happiness pass in her eyes, but it was a fleeting moment and could have been a trick of light.

"Here why don't you get ready and I'll clean up."almost whispered not moving her face from his hand.

"Alright give me a few minutes." Draco said as he slowly moved his hand down his cheek before he made his way upstairs.

Draco was not sure what was coming over him. He knew that he shouldn't be doing the things that he was, but he was lying if he said that these weren't actions that he wanted to do for a long time. He only worried that Hermione would think that what he was doing was some sort of pity that he had for her because of her scars, but that could not have further from the truth. Draco had been harboring feelings for the know it all sense before she punched him in third year. The punch only seemed to make him see how strong of an individual she was. The things that he witnessed at the manor only helped to solidify that opinion as well. Draco's greatest regrets in life were around Hermione. He truly wished he could take back the cruelness that he had unleashed during their time at school and with all his heart he wished he could go back in time and stop her capture. Stop Hermione from having to go through what ever she had at the hands of his Aunt and other followers of the Dark Lord. HE wished that he would have spoken up and stopped what he could. Alas that was the past and he couldn't take it back he could only hope that some how in some way that he could make it right between the two of them. He hoped that last night was the first of many opening up and that the two of them could learn to get along be friends even, and he hoped eventually be something was wishful thinking on his part, but that didn't mean that he would stop wishing it.

"Hey I'm ready whenever you are Hermione." Draco called from the stairs.

"Let me just change my shirt and we can head out."

Searching through her closet Hermione picked out a shirt with shorter sleeves it didn't show any of her scars other than the ones on her wrist loner or later she knew that this hiding would end. It just worried her how others might react to the fact that she was covered in the scars.

The two made their way to the bookstore a completely different air between them. Others could tell that there was a shift between the two of them. The air was lighter not as angry not as volatile as it had been when they left the day before.

"You seem different today." Tanya stated as she came across Hermione and her dusting the nonexistent dust at the cash register.

"I do? How so?"

"Well you look…rested."

"I don't normally look that way."

"No."

"Then how do I normally look?"

"You just look tired all the time, and today you don't have you done anything different?"

"No"

"Okay then. I'm getting back to work and I suggest that you do to, you know being the boss and all."

Tanya grudgingly went back to restocking shelves as Hermione just sat at the cash register.

Draco spent most of the day trying to figure out what was going to happen between the two of them now. Draco hoped that they would be on good footing now and that he could try and bring a happy Hermione to the rest of the world. It was strange to him that he wasn't thinking about his impending doom. That at any moment somebody that he once knew and probably hailed as a family friend was out to kill him all because he new that what had happened should never have happened. That the Dark Lord should never have risen again. He had spent so much time trying to make up for everything that had happen that right now at this moment it didn't matter. What mattered was trying to get her to smile.

The day slowly dragged on. There was nothing exciting. There was nothing to report it was just that normal bookstore, and yet Draco could help but feel as if he had a fluttering in his insides every time that he saw Hermione look his way or even look like she might look his way. Draco wasn't sure what was coming over him but he felt like he was back to the bumbling 16 year old.

Having reached home and eaten Draco and Hermione had taken to sitting in her living room reading. If anyone was to look in they would see a quiet scene of a couple content in being alone together. IT was after an hour of silence and stolen side ways glances from Draco that he finally spoke up.

"We need to talk."

"About?"

"We slept together. Okay not slept together together, but you me fell asleep in each others arms last night, that has to mean something."

"Does it have to mean anything?"

"No, I guess not."

"Alright good. I'm headed to bed. I'll see you in the morning." with that Hermione headed to her room. While Draco stayed in the living room going over the huge changes that have happened in the last little while. Though he wouldn't say that they were bosom buddies they were definitely in a better place than they were when he first showed up at her place. The handful of months that he had been here with her had been enlightening to say the least. He never thought in a million years that he would be here in Granger's living room thinking about ways he could get in on her good side. If 16 year old Draco were to be told that there would be a time that his life would be completely in the hand of Granger he never would have believe them in a million years. The funny thing about this arrangement was that he couldn't believe that it took the murders of ex death eaters to get him to get to know her. Heading up to his room Draco couldn't help but send a silent prayer to the powers that be, hoping that the Hermione that he saw last night and the one he saw when she was with baby James would stay around longer.


	9. Chapter 9

Draco woke to the sounds of sob mixed screams. He wasn't sure exactly where he was or what was happening. It took a few moments before he could place where he was and what was happening. The wails were coming from Hermione's room as soon as that realization hit him he booked it from his room to hers afraid that the Death Eaters had found him and where now torturing her. Draco wasn't sure what exactly he was going to do since he knew he would be slow when it came to spell casting seeing as he had been with Hermione for over a month and had not preformed any type of magic since before he came to live with her. It didn't matter to him, all Draco knew was that there was a chance that he would find her dead and he would be next and he couldn't let that happen. Silently he prayed to whatever God maybe listening that she would be fine. Upon entering her room it was easy to see that it was a false alarm. False alarm to rouge Death Eaters, but the scene before Draco did not keep him from calming. Hermione was tangled in her bedding fighting against it and letting out the most horrific scream. It was a scream that rivaled the ones that he had been a witness to on torturing sessions during the war.

Moving carefully over to Hermione Draco moved to shake her awake. It took a few minutes and a slap to the face before Hermione finally reached a semi conscious state where she could recognize that she was safe in her bed and not where ever her dreams had taken her. Unexpectedly she wrapped her arms around him. It took a moment for Draco to move, but eventually he wrapped his arms around Hermione and held her as tears fell from her eyes.

"Hermione its okay it was just a dream."

"I know…but…it just felt so real."

"Do you want to talk about it?" much like the night before Hermione just shook her head no as she continued to cry into the chest of Draco Malfoy. The last person that she ever expect to be the one comforting her now for the second time was now holding her while whispering comforting words and reassuring her that it was okay it was just a dream, all the while soothingly rubbing her back. After a while the tears had stopped and Hermione had calmed down. Even though the tears had stopped Hermione made no move to move away from Draco. She felt so calm and comfortable leaned against his chest with his arms wrapped around her.

"Are going to be okay now?" Draco asked as he stopped rubbing her back and pulled her away so that he could look at her face. Hermione just nodded. Draco stood to make his way back to his room to try and get some sleep. Draco stopped when he felt Hermione take hold of his hand. The two stayed like that Hermione sitting on the bed Draco standing next to it hands clasped and staring at each other trying to take appraisal of the other, the situation and what might happen next. Both hoping that the other would be okay with staying, but not wanting to be the first one to make a move. Draco knew that if he had suggested that he stay that Hermione would for sure push him away and lock him out physically and emotional and he was just starting to make his way into knowing this Hermione. Unsure really of how long the stood like that Hermione was the one to break the trance the two of them seemed to be in.

"Stay."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't." Draco crawled to the other side of the bed and hopped in with her. This was nothing like the other night when the two had fallen asleep on the couch. There it was clear that it was something that had just happened, not an action of some sort of purpose. The two of them laid there awkwardly not really sure what to do. Unsure who should make the first move in moving from the positions that they were in. It seemed that in the silent scene that Draco was playing out Hermione and fallen asleep and started to whimper in her sleep. Hearing the whimpers Draco slipped in closer and took her in his arms. Sleeping Hermione fought his arms for a moment but as soon as her head made it to his chest it was like she knew it was him and stopped the fight and fell still against his chest. It didn't take Draco long to follow into dream land with his arms wrapped around her.

It had been a few weeks of night terrors that came back it seemed with a vengeance. Hermione had hoped that these were over with a while ago, and was unsure as to why they were not only back but with a vengeance. It was easy that they were probably triggered but the stress of having Malfoy living with her and not knowing if today was the day that they would be attacked and killed. What Hermione did know was that she was sick of feeling so scared and helpless.

The first week there had been an uncomfortableness but a pattern had started to develop. The two would head to bed than right before Draco would fall asleep he would hear screams coming from Hermione. Her would make his way to her room and hold her till the two of them both asleep. Towards the end of the week Hermione found Draco sitting on her bed waiting for her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I figured that I would just end up here anyway. So I thought what the fuck why don't we just skip a few steps." There was no argument, or half reasoned out thought as to why he shouldn't be there. Hermione just shut off the light and went to bed draping her arm across Draco's chest and quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.

After that night there was just an unspoken agreement that the two of them would be sharing a bed. There was no awkwardness at Draco, after Hermione's night rituals, crawling into bed with her wrapping an arm around her and falling asleep.

It was one night after a few weeks of Hermione and Draco's new sleeping arrangement. This time though Hermione was crying to herself even before she fell asleep. The day had been a particular point of emotion. The two had just got back from a dinner with Harry and Ginny, but it also featured one Ronald Weasley and his new girlfriend.

To say that dinner was a disaster was an understatement. Ginny seemed upset that Ron was there kept pulling Harry aside and whisper yelling at him for the fact that her brother was here with Hermione and what in Merlin's saggy balls had he been thinking in letting him come over. Dinner was super uncomfortable Ron kept glaring and making rude comments at Hermione. For the most part she tried to ignore what he was saying. As the night progressed the more he had to drink and the more Ron's remarks started to leave there mark as well. On multiple occasions Hermione had retreated to hide in James' room with the baby, but he excuse that he needed to be tended to only lasted so long.

The night ended with Ronald, after having quite a few drinks, waxing eloquent about how cold and cut off from everything Hermione was and really had always been. He also wished Draco luck in trying to getting between her legs because she was locked tighter than a vault at Gringotts. Draco slugged the drunk Weasel in the face, knocking the ass out. Harry just handed over the book and quietly activated it providing the much needed escape that should have happened long before it got to that point.

"He was right I am cold and cut off and have been for a long time." Hermione said quietly as the two started to get settled for the night in Draco's room.

"The war was long and hard on all of us."

"No I was like this in ways before my break before the war. I have cut myself off from people for as long as I can remember. I was always weird always different. Even in my muggle schooling. I never really had any friends and was teased unmercifully. It also didn't help that anytime I was upset or embarrassed I would produce accident I got my letter to Hogwarts and I was told that I was a witch I thought I would finally find a place I would fit in. Yet here I am years later, back in the muggle world after fighting some evil fuckers, because I couldn't handle everything that had happened."

"You were tortured by Bella and came from that coherent and relatively in one piece that isn't anybody who can say that. As to…"

" Its not just the cuts and magical tortures that your aunt put me through." Hermione cut Draco off. "How much do you know about what happened to me at the manor?"

"Just that she tortured you in front of us all trying to get information about what you knew about her vault."

"Before...Before she brought me out for the grand finale of her torture, so to speak. She...she and the Lestrange brothers took turns…." Hermione's tears reached a breaking point she told him of the rape and the torture that she had gone through at the hands of the Lestranges'. This was something that Hermione didn't share. It still hurt so much both keeping it in and wanting to try to explain to people what had all happened to her in hopes that it would explain why she was the way she was. Yet she didn't want to see the pity that she knew people would have in their eyes. That was why only a handful of people knew about this and now that included Draco. Tears had been flowing from her eyes the whole time that Hermione told her tale to Draco. It took everything she could not to break out in sobs. She knew that she had to get everything out there everything that she kept so bottled up.

Upon the finish of her revelations, Draco reached out and wiped the tears away from her face. Cradling her head in her hands he just stared into her eyes, trying to communicate with his eyes the things that he couldn't say.

"How can you be so open about this? How can you not despise me."

"I don't despise you Hermione. I never could. Hearing about this although shocking and painful as it is. Its not surprising they were horrible people. Not you. They are the people to despise. Not you Hermione. You are the strongest and bravest person I have ever met. Knowing this, only makes me hate myself more. Only makes me wish I had done more sooner to get you out of the manner. Nobody should have to go through what you went through. Nobody." Draco continued to hold eye contact with her. Tears were dripping down Hermione's face. Slowly Draco moved his hand and wiped the tears away. Being at the center of such a sweet and caring gesture only made the tears fall harder. They were back in the same positions as had been the pattern in nights before. Hermione sobbing while Draco held her as she sobbed the pain away. Every once in a while a kiss was placed on the crown of Hermione's head. Slowly the kisses moved from the crown of her head to kissing away tears. To tentatively kissing Hermione on the lips. There was no fight no telling to stop, just the wish and hope from both that it would continue.

Slowly the kisses grew deeper and more heated and soon clothes were starting to be shed. Draco was sitting with Hermione in just his trousers. As he slowly helped her take off her jumper. Once the Jumper was off and Hermione was sitting there in her bra. Draco took in the beautiful strong woman in front of him. She felt uneasy under his strong gaze and mover to cover herself her arms. Draco interlaced laced her fingers with his and held her hands effectively keeping her from covering herself.

"I want to see you." Desire laced his voice and his eyes. Hermione didn't know what to do. She loved the fact that this was finally happening, but was unsure about showing him her scars. Hermione relaxed a little and Draco took the opportunity. He raised her left wrist to his lips and kissed four inch puckered scar. He moved slowly up her arm to a patch of hatch mark scars on her forearm and kissed them.

"You are beautiful." he sighed bringing his lips to her arm once more. Hermione sighed with longing and content, her sighs begging for Draco to continue.

"Tell me about them?" Draco asked as he lightly nibbled on her ear.

"Those are the ones that almost killed me. I was in such a dark and lonely place. The war had ended. Ron and I had ended. I was still working for the Ministry and it was slowly crushing me. It was all I could do to night give into the darkness inside of me. One day it just became too much. I came home poured myself a glass of wine drew a bath, got in and slit my wrists. Harry and Ginny should up soon after. They saved my life." Tears were pouring out of her eyes. Draco held her tighter. They sat there Hermione cradled in Draco's arms. He brought his lips to the next scar. The words MUDBLOOD carved into her arm.

"You know about this one already."

"I still want to hear about it from you." he brought kissed the scar again.

"I got this when I was brought in to Malfoy Manor, to Voldemort. I was tortured by your aunt. She not only carved this into my arm but also left this." Hermione lifted her chin to show the faint line that traced her neck. Bellatrix had left it before she carved the words down her arm. Tears were streaming down her cheeks again. Draco moved to her lips again kissing her gently. He moved to kissing away her tears from her cheek.

"You are the most amazing person that I have ever met."

"You don't mean that"

"You know me I wouldn't of said it if I didn't mean it." Draco just stared into her eyes after a few moments he moved and kissed the top of her scar that ran from her left collarbone to bellybutton. Slowly making his way down as she told him about it

"I got this one from the battle at the Ministry of mysteries. I was hit with a curse before Sirius fell into the veil."

"What about these ones?" Draco had reached a patch of puckered and pink skin that spanned from her hip to the mid thigh, it was a series of cross hatching lines. There was a matching series of lines on her other hip and thigh.

"Those ones are from a mix of years of me recutting the same place over the years at school after you and other would make fun of me."

"I'm so sorry"

"It's in the past. I've moved on. All I know its that these are a part of me they have helped make me who I am."

"I know, you are amazing. Why do you keep hiding them?"

"Honestly I usually don't. I know that there was a point with Ron that I felt that I couldn't show them that I had to cover my scars. I still feel that way. He can't help but stare at them and it just makes me feel like there is just so much judging that happens with him. Since breaking up with him and not being around Molly, I had come to accept them and stopped covering them up and I felt so liberated. Like I could really accept myself, but with you here I just didn't want to deal with questions and make you uncomfortable that I just started to cover them up again.

"Stop. You don't have to on my account. You're beautiful." he kissed her hard a deep for awhile.


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up next to Draco was different this time than it had been the last few weeks. It wasn't just the fact that they were laying naked in Draco's room, but it was the fact that they were laying naked together in Draco's room. there was something about being there wrapped in his arms that made Hermione feel like everything was alright and would alway be alright as long as the two of the where together, and that scared the hell out of her. It didn't matter that she had just shared deep things with him and the whole heartedness that he accepting everything was still shocking to her.

Realizing that the two of them had actually slept together made Hermione almost leap out of bed. She was sitting straight up with the blankets slowly slipping off of her. Hermione was so deep in her analysis of not only last night but how she might be able to escape the bed without Draco's notice. So deep in her thoughts that she had missed the first stirring and mumbles from the man laying next to her. All Hermione was able to process was that Draco had seen all of her and not freaked, In fact he had fucked her quite nicely. It was this that stuck on a repeat loop in her mind. She had fucked Draco Malfoy. Her and Draco had shagged. Merlin's balls what was going to happen now? Was this a one off thing? Did he now want a relationship? Hermione wasn't sure herself what she wanted from the blonde next to her, she wasn't even sure if she wanted a repeat from last night. OR did she?

"hmmm. Come lay back down you're letting the cold in." Draco mumbled as he moved his arm across her stomach and tried to try and get Hermione to lay down. Hermione dodged the arm and bounded out of bed.

"Are you alright?"Draco asked still a little groggy from in her hurry to get away from the situation so that she could try and think it through was trying to find the pj's that she had worn the night before.

"Yeah fine. I just need to shower. If we lay in bed all day we're going to be late, and you know how Molly is about tardiness." Hermione stated as she tried to slip of her knickers. She kept hopping around on one foot and wasn't very successful. I it wasn't so obvious that she was trying to leave the room as fast as possible it could almost be funny.

"Plus there is something that I forgot at the shop that I need before we head out to the Burrow." she lied, haven given up on the knickers Hermione just slipped on her nightie and headed to the shower.

"Okay...I guess you shower and I'll start breakfast." Draco added slight confused to her manner this morning. Flopping back down with a humph Draco began to replay the events that led to him shagging Hermione. To say that he hadn't want to sleep with her would have been lying. This was something that he had dreamed about since they were in Hogwarts, but he had come to live with the fact that it was just the fantasy of a school boy and would never happen, but it did. Now what? Draco knew that he wanted a repeat performance for as long as he could get them, but what about Hermione. Was this something that she would want to continue? If she did would it continue after all this shit was over or was this just a case of lonely convenience. Draco knew that it wasn't for him and hoped to Circe that it wasn't for her either.

Breakfast was an odd affair. The two sat quietly not making eye contact all in the hopes of maybe the other would broach the elephant in the room, but alas nothing happened. With a flurry the two moved quickly to catch the bus to Heywood, but in their rush at breakfast to not address anything they fell well behind the schedule that Hermione had in place. Waiting at the stop for the next bus Draco decided to make some sort of move. He reached out for Hermione's hand and held it. It took a moment, but she finally relaxed enough to return the gentle hand squeezing pressure that Draco was giving. They rode in comfortable silence on the bus Draco not letting her hand go and Hermione gentle resting her head on his shoulder. Upon exiting the bus that all changed. Almost immediately she dropped his hand and would not pick it back up. Anytime that Draco got within 5 feet of her in the book shop she would immediately move as far as way as possible. Hermione had even resorted to asking employees and customers to relay messages to Draco. Closing shop for the day the two waited in the back for the Portkey to activate and take them to dinner at the Burrow. With just the two of them Hermione seemed to be okay with being next to Draco all of the sudden she was holding his hand and cuddling next to him from the time the door to the shop was locked to the time they reached the front of the Burrow her hands were intertwined with his. As soon as the door started to open it was almost as if they had jumped back months.

It was such a nice day that Molly had decided to have the gathering not only outside but also organized a

"You've been acting weird all day, what the fuck is wrong?"

"No I haven't." Hermione stated flatly as she tried to duck under his arms and get away.

"Yes you have. Everyone can and would be willing to tell you that fact."

"Well this is normal for me."

"Bullshit. You're acting all wiggity wack."

"That's not true."

"Is this because we had sex" Draco practically yelled the word sex and he thought Hermione was going to have a coronary.

"No this isn't because we had sex" Hermione shot back in an angry whisper. They both knew that she was lying. "Even if it was this is neither the time nor the place to be discussing it."

"I think that it is."

"No, I assure it is not. Have you ever talked about these things with Weasley's present?"

"Of course."

"I don't mean drunken claims of past lays. I'm talking about hushed conversations with one either in or out of earshot." Hermione hurriedly stated, trying to move away from him and move away from this topic.

"No, I haven't." Draco looked around his shoulder. "Nobody is even in here, why are you acting so paranoid."

"I'm not paranoid. I just know these people and I'm not having this conversation here." Hermione hurriedly walked away and right into Charlie.

"So you shagged Draco." Charlie stated bluntly after he righted himself and Hermione who almost face planted it into the grass.

"Balls. Who else heard."

"No one. Draco told me earlier"

"Fuck, Bugger, bloody, bollocks, arse, bloody, bogey, shit, fanny, twat, frack, piss, wanker, bint, tosser, fuck, shit, piss, fuck, bastard, fuck, asshole fuck. Can't he keep his fucking trap shut."

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me." Charlie chuckled

"It better bloody well be or I'll share what I have on you!" One would not think that it could be possible for a Weasley but Charlie paled to half his normal shade as Hermione stormed to the other side of the yard trying to get away from everyone. Why was he making such a big deal out of this? Hermione thought to herself. She knew that she wasn't acting any different than she had before towards Draco and maybe that was his problem. The fact that she wasn't nice and affectionate to Draco in public as she was in the safety of her home, but she knew that if anything changed. That if she showed any less disdain for him than what was normal for her that the vultures that were her adopted family would instantly want to know what was going on between the two of them, and of course probing questions about whether or not they had shagged would almost for certain be asked as bluntly and invasively as possible. It wasn't that Hermione didn't like talking about her sex life with everyone, she wasn't a prude. It was just that she didn't want to share what was happening with Draco. Mostly it was because she herself wasn't quite sure what was happening with him, and if she wasn't sure how could she share with others. It would just be easier to try and keep quiet about the two of them.

Dinner was a difficult affair. Draco kept trying to cop feels under the table while Charlie was trying not to laugh when Hermione jumped or squealed a little too loud. Ginny kept giving Hermione the eye ball like she knew something was happening but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Feeling the glares and the eyes was too much for Hermione tonight. The only time that she was able to get Draco to stop the majority of his touching was when she would steal James away.

Hermione had moved to her favorite chair in the living room of the Burrow and was playing with James when every once in a while she would look up to see Draco staring at her. It got to the point that she could feel his eyes practically burning a hole into her,

"What?"

"nothing."

"Come on you want to say something."

"It's nice."

"What is."

"Watching you be happy. I don't see it a lot."

"Really? Do I really look that different?"

"You, um...glow." Their eyes locked and there in the far corner of the living room Draco and Hermione just stared at one another. Looking deep into his eyes Hermione knew that what happened last like was going to happen again. The honey of Hermione's eyes was hypnotizing. Draco knew that he could spend days gazing into them and never really know the secrets that they held.

She didn't want to stay, but every time she tried to leave Draco would do something to get the two of them to stay longer. Mostly all it took was grabbing James from her arms and handing the baby to somebody else and watch as Hermione slowly tried to take him back. It was slightly amusing and forced her to stay an hour longer than normal. Eventually Harry felt some pity and activated the port key finally letting them go home.

Port keying back to her place Hermione couldn't contain herself any longer. Hours of stray looks and wondering touches Hermione attacked Draco. She kissed him with all the pent up feelings that she had been denying all day. After breaking the kiss the two just stood held in each others arms.

"You're right I have been acting weird." Hermione finally broke the comfortable silence that had washed over the two of them.

"Why?" Draco had pulled back slightly so he could look into her eyes.

"Three years. It's been three years since I have had the intrusions of the whole Weasley family. I'm used to handling just Ginny, and her probing questions, but its been awhile since I have heard things from Molly and the rest of the Weasley's."

"Come on it can't be that bad."

"Oh my god. You have no idea. It took years for them to let the Krum thing alone. Bill and Charlie still at times drill me unmercifully about the letters we still write to each other. Then there was Ron. I didn't get a moments peace with that one. There was a scattering of muggle men here and there and the mouth on Ginny grilling for every bloody detail. I don't know what I would do if they found out about you and I. I can't do it. Plus…" Hermione mumbled something that Draco couldn't quite hear.

"What was that I didn't quite catch the last of that sentence?"

"Nothing."

"No, it wasn't nothing now spill Hermione."

"You're you. Okay. you're you."

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

"Well you're Draco fucking Malfoy. How am I supposed to compete with that. Plus there is the whole fact that we're supposed to hate each other."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm being serious. You're you and all I've got is a brief fling with Krum and Ron."

"Look, Hermione. I know that I have the whole 'experience' thing. Fucking what ever moved. Doing all sorts of things. I thought that I was okay with that. That moving from woman to woman was all that I wanted all that I needed. I realized something the other night. My life isn't perfect. It never has been. Its all sorts of fucked up and the last place I thought that I would realize that would be holding you. Comforting you. That's all I did was hold you in my arms and it meant more to me than anything in my life thus far. Being with you, even fighting with you has been the best thing that has happened in my life and I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose the closeness that I have with you. I would trade all of my experience for just one night holding you in my arms and nothing more." Draco pulled her into a kiss. The kissing grew more heated and soon clothes were shed. Slowly Hermione ran her hand down his back, the all too familiar feeling of scarred skin. It surprised Hermione to find the all too familiar raised and puckered skin. Hermione knew that she hadn't felt them the other night in the midst of their shagging and figured that he must have been using a strong glamour to hide them.

"They're from Lucius." Draco supplied when he felt her hands stop moving. "He would whip me as punishment."

"Draco, you don't need to tell me this."

"No secrets. You shared your stories. I want to share mine that is if you want to hear them."

"Of course." Hermione ended with a kiss.


End file.
